Vol. 435 No. 6
85 Ms O'Donnell asked the Minister for Equality and Law Reform the affirmative action, if any, he aims to take to improve the situation of the travelling community and, in particular, in facilitating and enhancing their participation in public affairs including the electoral process as recommended by the Human Rights Committee recently.
The regulation of the electoral process is, in the first instance, a matter for the Minister for the Environment.
There is already a growing awareness among travellers of their own rights and the need to influence decisions affecting their lifestyle. I would hope that this development would also encourage their participation in public life generally, including their greater participation in the electoral process.
On foot of a commitment contained in the Programme for a Partnership Government, I set up the Task Force on the Travelling Community in July, 1993. The task force is chaired by Deputy Liz McManus.
One of the terms of reference of the task force requires it to explore the possibilities for developing mechanisms, including statutory mechanisms, to enable travellers to participate and contribute to decisions affecting their lifestyle and environment. Pending the receipt of the recommendations of the task force, I feel it would not be appropriate for me to take any action at this stage which could pre-empt its deliberations or conclusions.
